Plastic-free trapped tray packaging

Abstract

A trapped tray product packaging having a paperboard or a molded pulp tray trapped between a first panel and a second panel is provided. The first panel has an opening for placement of the tray. The tray includes a lip that is trapped between the first panel and the second panel. The first and second panels can be formed from paperboard.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A packaging system comprising:
 a paperboard back panel having a first opening;   a tray formed from a paper material having a bottom wall, a side wall extending upward from the bottom wall, and a first lip portion connected to a top edge of the side wall;   a product for sale maintained completely within the tray; and, a paperboard front panel having a first opening aligning with a portion of the tray wherein the first lip portion is trapped between the back panel and the front panel, wherein the front panel is attached to the tray by an adhesive and directly contacts the entire upper surface of the first lip portion and the back panel contacts the entire lower surface of the first lip portion, and wherein the front panel provides a planar face for stacking the system with other like systems.   
     
     
         2 . The packaging system of  claim 1  wherein the tray is a pressed paperboard. 
     
     
         3 . The packaging system of  claim 2  wherein the pressed paperboard is formed wet in a mold. 
     
     
         4 . The packaging system of  claim 1  wherein the tray is a molded pulp material. 
     
     
         5 . The packaging system of  claim 1  wherein the first lip portion extends completely around the tray. 
     
     
         6 . The packaging system of  claim 1  wherein the opening in the front panel is rectangular. 
     
     
         7 . The packaging system of  claim 1  further comprising a translucent film covering an open portion of the tray. 
     
     
         8 . The packaging system of  claim 1  wherein the front panel comprises a second opening spaced from the first opening. 
     
     
         9 . The packaging system of  claim 1  wherein the tray includes a first well and a second well spaced from the first well by a bridge. 
     
     
         10 . The packaging system of  claim 9  wherein the back panel includes a second opening spaced from the first opening. 
     
     
         11 . The packaging system of  claim 10  wherein the first well is configured to fit in the first opening of the back panel and the second well is configured to fit in the second opening of the back panel. 
     
     
         12 . The packaging system of  claim 1  further comprising a box configured to hold a plurality of the packaging systems. 
     
     
         13 . The packaging system of  claim 12  wherein the box includes an open portion to expose the packaging systems for visual inspection. 
     
     
         14 . The packaging system of  claim 1  wherein the back panel is hingedly connected to the front panel along an edge. 
     
     
         15 . The packaging system of  claim 1  wherein back panel is hingedly connected to the front panel by a fold line.